Daylight fluoroscope



Nov. 21, 1933. H. F. WAITE DAYLiGHT FLUOROSCOPE Filed June 22. 1932INVENTOR I /flF/WA IQ/r5 S" AT RNEY in any suitable manner.

Patented Nov. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES ssanz PATENT ore-Ice Heretoforefluoroscopic examinations have been common and successful, but they haveto be conducted in darkened rooms. For many reasons, this is oftenundesirable, as when children are to be examined, because they areinclined to become frightened or mischievous or playful, and this isespecially true where they are examined in groups. It is essential thatthey should be examined, examined quickly so that incipient tuberculosisand other diseases may be determined whenever they exist in a child andprompt measures of relief applied before it is too late. Because of thedifficulties incidental to such examinations, they have not been had.The daylight iiuoroscope, which forms the subject matter in this case,overcomes all difficulties in a manner which will now be set forth.

For a more particular description of this invention, reference is to behad to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof in which Figure 1is a sectional view showing one embodiment of my invention; and

Figure 2 shows a protecting screen.

Throughout the various views of the drawing, similar referencecharacters designate similar parts.

1 indicates an X-ray tube of the conventional kind, and energized in theusual manner by means not shown. 2 represents a person undergoingexamination. 3 shows the daylight fiuoroscope, 4 the person making theexamination, and 5 the stool on which he sits when functioning. Thisstool rests on a floor 6 which also supports a vertical tube 7, which issecured thereto in any suitable way, and at the top of this tube arepulleys 8 and 9, the latter being carried by a laterally extending arm10. These pulleys carry a chain or cable 11, at one end of which issecured a counterbalance weight 12, which rises or falls, or remainsstationary in the tube 7, and the other end of which carries thedaylight fluoroscope 3. This fluoroscope will now be described.

It is preferably in the form of a box with a suitable top 13 to whichthe cable 11 is attached The side walls 14 carry a window of red glass15 through which the operator may look into the room where the apparatusis placed, and also a radium painted dial 16 which the operator looks atuntil he can see it distinctly, and then he knows his eyes have becomeaccustomed to the conditions inside the fluoroscope.

At the top front is a wall 17 with a perforation 18, and back of theperforation is a black baiile partition 19, which prevents light fromcoming into the inner chamber in any substantial amount, but permits airto come in. On the rear wall 20 and at the top is an exhaust fan 21connected to any suitable source of power, and this takes air out of theapparatus, so that there is an inflow through the opening 18 and anoutflow at the fan 21. The front wall 17 also carries a fluoroscopicscreen 22 of leaded glass on the inside, which is impervious to X-raysand made in the conventional manner, and at each end are protectingplates of metal 23, which carry handles 24 which may be manipulated bythe operator, so

as to raise or lower the fluoroscope 3 to get it at the right level.

The bottom 25 has a large cloth or leather closure 26, which isimpervious to light, and this is closed at the front by means of azipper 27, or other suitable means, which can be operated from theoutside so that when the operator 4 sits on the stool 5, he puts hishead through an open-15 ing in this closure 26, and uses the zipper 2'?to close the bottom about his neck, his hands being always outside thefluoroscope. He has plenty of air for breathing purposes, and he can beheard when he speaks through the opening 18 without 30 raising hisvoice. Once he is ready to begin his examination, the children or otherpatients stand in front of the screen 22, as directed by him, and areexamined one after another, and all of them are examined in an ordinaryroom with plenty 5 of daylight.

It will be noted that the apparatusreceives the head of the operatorfree from all encumbrances, which would interfere with his work and. hishands are also free for any manipulation that may be required. 7

While I have shown and describe-d one embodiment of my invention, it isobvious that it is not restricted thereto, but that it is broad enoughto cover all structures that come within the scope 9 5 of the annexedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A daylight fluoroscope comprising, a chamber in the form of abox-like member adapted to 19 be raised or lowered, means for holdingthe boxlike member at any desired level, a fluoroscopic screen mountedat the front of the box-like memher, and a flexible light-excludingmeans at the bottom of the box-like member through which the head of anoperator may be passed to enter the box-like member.

2. A daylight fluoroscope comprising, a boxlike member adapted to beraised or lowered, means for holding the box-like member at any de siredlevel, a fluoroscopic screen mounted at the front of the box-likemember, the box-like member being provided with an opening covered witha flexible material, said flexible material having an opening throughwhich the head of an operator may be inserted to enter within thebox-like member, and means for contracting the opening about the neck ofthe operator.

3. Adaylightfluoroscope comprising, a tubular standard having an arm atitsupper end, pulleys mounted thereon, a box-like member, a cableconnected to said member and extending over the pulleys, a weightattached to the cable and vertically movable within the standardt0,ho1d.the box-like member in any desired position of raised or loweredadjustment, an opening gin'the boxlike member, a flexiblelight-excludingmember level, a fluoroscopic screen mounted at the frontof the box-like member, a flexible light-excluding means attached to thebottom of the box-like member through which the head of an operator maybe passed, the box-like member having a ventilating opening, and a fanwithin the box-like member for cooperating with the opening to ventilatethe interior of the box-like member.

HARRY F. WAITE.

